AEROPLANE CRASH

Hokitika Guardian, 18 March 1926, Page 3

AEROPLANE CRASH

TWO MEN KILLED. [by TELEGRAPH —CEIt riIESS ASSOCIATION.] {'HRISTC'HriiC'II. March 17. Two officers of the Territorial Air Force were killed and an aerodrome employee was badly injured in an aero plane crash at Papanni at 0 ..‘10 o’clock this evening. Their names are:— Captain F. J. Horrell—killed. T. L. Reid—killed. Lieutenant I’. A. Turner—badly injured.

Horrell and Turner were two of a group of Air Force officers undergoing a. refresher course at Wigram Aerodrome. Reid who was formerly a jockey. was a passenger in the machine with the officers. Horrell was billed instantly and Reid died on the way to the hospital. Turner’s injuries are very grave, but lie is considered to have a fighting chance of recovery.

The nreoplnno crashed to earth in the garden surrounding the Methodist Orphanage, falling in a rose garden, twelve yards from a room in which sixty children were sitting down to their evening meal. By great good fortune, not a single inmate of the orphamt'jr' was out of doors. It is a quiet, suburban neighbourhood. and very few people saw the crash.

The machine was certainly Hying low. It is reported that the machine was looping the loop when it nosedived suddenly. Horrell was dead when lifted from the wreck of the aeroplane. His head was fearfully crushed and both his legs wore broken. Reid also had terrible head injuries. Turner suffered a broken left, arm. a broken lower law, several facial lacerations ami general shock. A corrected report, of the aeroplane smash is as follows:An officer of the Territorial Air Force and an employee at the aerodrome were killed and another officer was injured in the aeroplane crash at Papanni at 5.30 this afternoon. The names were:—Captain F. J. Horrell, killed; Mr T. L. Reid, killed; Lieut. P. A. Turner, badly injured. Horrell and Turner were two of a group of officers undergoing a refresher course at the 'Wigram aerodrome. Reid was an aerodrome employee, who was formerly a jockey, and he was in the machine. Besides a broken arm and facial lacerations. Turner has a broken lower jaw. He has a. lighting chance, of recovery, but his condition is serious.

The accident occurred in a quiet •suburb.

All the eye-witnesses agree that the machine was living low and was stunt-

The immediate cause of the crash

vns an unsuccessful attempt to loop die loop, a, manoeuvre which the pilot

had successfully accomplished several times before. Tlie machine dived at a terrific speed, burying its nose deep in tlie ground. CHRISTCHURCH, March IS.

Lun Lane and Hilda Woods, two children at the orphanage, were in the grounds of the institution at, tile lime of the crash.

The lad. a bright youngster of Id years, was the first to reach the unfortunate men. "He tried to do what he could." as the matron of tho Orphanage put it. but be found his boyish strength was not equal to the task of extricating the men from the wreckage. These two children were the only ones who witnessed iho actual crash and the glim tragedy. That the terrible dive shocked their voting minds is beyond words. They saw the aeroplane whizz down over the Orphanage ami lor a. moment that seemed a lifetime they watched the machine in its meteoric descent. The sight and '•rash caused the little girl to clap her hand-, to her oars and call hysterically for help, but the lad ran to the aeroplane to help the injured.

Thomas Lewis Reid, killed in tho aeroplane crash last evening was once a well-known Bicenrtoii jockey in jumping events. He retired from riding eighteen months ago. It is understood his parents reside in Dunedin.

T XQUE ST ADJ OUR NED

CHRISTCHURCH, March 18. The inquest on Capt. Horrel! and T. L. Reid was opened this morning at the hospital. Capt. Findley. Officer-in-Commaiid of the Wigrain Aerodrome, gave evidence of identification. William Edward Horrell. said his brother visited Rnngiorn at 3.30 p.m. yesterday to attend the funeral of an uncle, then returning to the aerodrome to fulfil an engagement. His brother was an experienced -pilot. Hj» had been injured in the fighting on Gallipoli. The inquest was adjourned sine die. PASSED AS ATRWORTH V. CHRISTCHURCH, March 18. The aeroplane that crashed was examined before the flight by tin- Sergeant mechanic and passed as airworthy. Tbe actual cause of the crash is unknown. but a thorough inquii'v will be bold. DUNEDIN, March 18. Reid, who was killed in the air crash, was 22 years of age anil flic son of William Reid. Erin Street, Roslyn. He was single. Reid’s parents proceeded to Christchurch to-day.